FROM DUBAI: Dubai-based airline Emirates is considering the aviation market of Bangladesh as very important for business, said a high official of the airline.

In an exclusive interview with banglanews, Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President at the airline, talked to banglanews on the airline’s plan on Bangladesh in addition to their operations around the world.

Majid is responsible for running Commercial Operations Centre for the Gulf, Middle East, Iran and West Asia at Emirates Airline. Banglanews talked to him at the headquarters of The Emirates Group – the parent company of Emirates Airline – at Dubai on Tuesday.

He told that Bangladesh is vital market for them; at present, they have 19 flights from Dhaka a week and they also want to add more flights. Because, for last three years, not only the manpower have been traveling to overseas destination but also other passengers has been traveling to Europe, America and Africa, added Majid.

“Even, Bangladeshis are going to the destinations like Mauritius.”



Once, workers traveled only, now a good number of people of the country (Bangladesh) are using airways for travel and business purposes. Bangladesh is a unique market; it has huge potentiality in accordance with its huge population. Because, a big portion of the population has not been got interested in air travel yet, if it can be made the potentiality will come to realty.

Majid said that the second generation of Bangladesh is living in different countries of the world. Especially, the mentionable numbers of Bangladeshis are now living in Italy of Europe.

Previously, we used to transport manpower from Dhaka to aboard only. But now people of different professions, including the second generation, tourists and businesspeople, are going to different destinations from Bangladesh.

Not only for transporting passengers, Bangladesh is also important for those who want to make investment there. Huge amount of readymade garment products and fruits are being exported, so a big field to run cargo business has been created.

On the airline’s worldwide operations, Majid said that the Emirates began journey in 1985 and now it runs flight to 148 destinations. They are bringing new products for their passengers, opening new destinations.

Recently, they added Budapest in their destination list where Bangladeshis also live in, the official added.

The Emirates is operating nearly 3,400 more flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to 148 cities of 78 countries across six continents. Its Cargo activities are undertaken by the Emirates Group's Emirates SkyCargo division.

The airline ranks among the top ten carriers worldwide in terms of passenger kilometres, and has become the largest airline in the Middle East in terms of revenue, fleet size, and passengers carried as of 2007. In 2012 the airline was the fourth-largest airline in the world in terms of international passengers carried and scheduled passenger-kilometres flown.

The airline was the third-largest in terms of scheduled freight tonne-kilometres flown. The company also operates four of the world's longest non-stop commercial flights from Dubai to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston.



Asked on the airline’s fleet and managing strategy, the Emirates official told that, at present, they have a total of 230 airplanes in their fleet and some 292 more jets will be added to the fleet within several years next.

Some 53 jets are the latest Airbus A380 models and order of 87 other Airbus A380s has been placed too. Older aircraft increases both the fuel and the maintenance costs. It also creates air pollution. For these reasons, Emirates always removes the old jets from its fleet.

As part of this plan, all jets of Airbus A330 and Airbus A3840 will be taken out of its fleet by next two years; as a result of old jets removal, the  average year of Emirates’ planes is 6.2 years only, added Majid.

Majid, who once was the Emirates country manager for Bangladesh, said the cabin factor (number of passengers in proportionate to number of aircraft seats ) is above 80 percent in Bangladesh while 95 percent in India and 75 percent in some routes.

Taking account the regions, Europe is at top in terms of running business followed by the Middle East while Far East is at third position.
     
The official said they cover nearly all over the world, Emirates is one of the world’s best airline. And, they are doing something new everyday to create their position (atop) because of huge competition. To survive in the competition, innovative products are necessary and there is no opportunity to keep the jets on ground for a day.
   
Therefore, they immediately changed their plans by sending their aircrafts to other routes when the flights came to halt at Syria.  Airplanes have also been sent to alternative routes in Bangladesh too.

Emirates has built two own terminals to increase quality of their services while another one is set to open and changes are being brought in services regularly, Majid disclosed.



He said; “We like competition. Fuel costs some 40 percent of total money in airline business. Challenge creates even opportunities. Any airline can join aviation sector in Dubai. Different airlines are helping us by coming here. We have mission and vision. 80 percent of total passengers carrying by Emirates are going out of Dubai.”

Whether the airline has plan to launch fights outside Dhaka – from Chittagong and Sylhet, the Emirates official said they are giving their attention to Dhaka only. Due to operational reasons, they are not going for Chittagong and Sylhet with small jet for now. 

Regarding Emirates’ plan to recruit more cabin crews and workers from Bangladesh, Majid said they can not recruit 50 percent (of their total) manpower from a country, they believe in multi culture, they have cabin crews of 120 countries.

More cabin crews will be recruited from Bangladesh, but Emirates still has a mentionable number of cabin crews from Bangladesh. Three people are working in management level and more will be added to the team.

They take the best talents through securitization, and they will recruit dedicated and sincere people only, said Majid.

Terming the airlines business is very challenging and risky, Majid said that they are doing well in spite of everything; many airlines are getting closed due to bankruptcy. Emirates faced one billion dollar revenue cut last year due to the Arab Spring.

Recently, Ebola has created new crisis around the world. Circumstance like Ebola or Tsunami becomes the cause of damage for airline business. If something happens like that the airway passengers get reduced drastically.

But, the airline business is to keep running after facing these types of challenges, opined the Emirates boos.

Talking on Emirates’ future plan Majid told, “Around 20 million people will visit the Dubai Expo 2020, we are taking preparation on how we can carry them to the city, we have planned for the necessary amount of aircrafts for the expo time.”

“Last year, 11 million people came to Dubai, of them, 7 millions were from India only; you will see lot of infrastructural changes in Dubai next year centering the Expo and we will make the Expo successful,” he added.

Mentioning Emirates big sponsor in sports sector, Majid said, game connects everybody; different games--rugby, cricket, football-- is favorite to the people of different regions. For this reason, Emirates stand with all games.

“To connect all the passengers is our interest; that is why we sponsor in famous clubs like AC Milan and Real Madrid,” added the Emirates boss.

BDST: 1418 HRS, OCT 22, 2014